"Exalted Dao Fang, save me!!" the giant roared in terror, its heart pounding as it stared at the descending blade.

In the moment it called out, the ash that was the remnants of the magical symbols suddenly formed back together, turning into the same monkey face which had appeared on the chestplate of the armor earlier. Its eyes shone with a strange light as it stared at Meng Hao. Then it spoke in a sinister voice: "Reincarnation of Heaven and Earth. Heed me, thou shalt slay him not!"

As the voice echoed out, Meng Hao's Battle Weapon landed on the giant's neck. What was destroyed was not just the neck, though, but the entire giant. An indescribable force slashed into it, completely crushing and shattering it!

However, in response to the monkey's voice, the giant suddenly burned with powerful life force, a life force that seemed impossible for Heaven and Earth to destroy!

Rumbling could be heard as it began to recover from its state of destruction. From the look of it, the power of extermination unleashed by Meng Hao and his Battle Weapon were incapable of actually destroying the giant!

As its life force flourished, the giant first gaped in shock, then went wild with joy. Roaring, it lifted both hands into the air and charged toward Meng Hao. As for Meng Hao, he actually completely ignored the giant, and instead turned to the monkey.

Voice cool, he said, "The Mountain and Sea Realm is not your Heaven and not your Earth. You don't control reincarnation here. Therefore, your words... are meaningless!" As he spoke, his Battle Weapon exploded with intense black light that spread out in all directions. The giant suddenly trembled, and then collapsed into pieces. The fist which had been descending onto Meng Hao became nothing more than ash.

In the moment that the giant died, the face formed from magical symbols glared at Meng Hao, then began to fade away into the air. Meng Hao staggered backward, and the Battle Weapon vanished. The copper mirror and the parrot appeared again. The parrot looked very listless. After glaring bitterly at Meng Hao for a moment, it returned to his bag of holding.

Meng Hao's armor and cape transformed back into the meat jelly and mastiff. They both looked exhausted, and he quickly put them away. His face was pale white, and he now lacked any energy to keep fighting.

It would have been difficult for him to wield the Battle Weapon with only his own might. Therefore, he'd been forced to share the load with the meat jelly and the mastiff. That was what had enabled him to stay in that most powerful of states for a bit longer.

Thankfully, it hadn't taken too much time to defeat the giant. Even still, Meng Hao was completely worn out.

As the giant died, the magical seals in the area began to fade away, revealing the exit. Meng Hao's face flickered as he considered whether or not to go to the other lands in the area to acquire their flame sparks. But then, the ground suddenly began to quake. The other five lands that existed in the Divine Flame world then began to rise up into the air.

As the lands shook, mighty roars echoed out from them. Meng Hao immediately sent his divine sense sweeping out, and caught sight of five churning columns of black smoke.

The black smoke rose into the air, rapidly forming together into an enormous head. That head... had the face of a monkey.

Meng Hao's face flickered as a sensation of deadly crisis filled him that was far, far greater than anything he had experienced earlier. As it exploded out in his mind, he instantly abandoned any thoughts of trying to go to the other lands. His body flashed as he unleashed his cultivation base, transforming into an azure roc that shot toward the exit.

He performed a quick teleportation and instantly appeared by the exit. However, before he could step through, the monkey formed from black smoke suddenly howled.

That howl immediately caused the air to shatter. It filled the six lands of the Divine Flame world, echoing out, causing everything to shake. An indescribable power of destruction filled that roar, and it caused blood to spurt out of Meng Hao's mouth.

Shockingly, the exit itself also began to rumble and collapse. At the same time, the monkey face opened its mouth and lunged toward Meng Hao.

The sensation of deadly crisis grew even greater, and Meng Hao coughed up another mouthful of blood, then stepped into the collapsing exit.

However, in the instant before it completely collapsed, a fierce gleam flickered in Meng Hao's eyes. He was not the type of person who liked to come out on the losing end, and would always seize every opportunity that came his way. Although he was in a moment of extreme danger, he lifted his right hand and then waved his finger toward the monkey face up above him!

"A Writ of Karma! You owe me money!" he roared. Then, he vanished.

In the moment that he disappeared, the exit shattered, consumed by the enormous mouth formed by the giant land masses.

In the air above the world of Divine Flame, the monkey face suddenly trembled. Karma Threads appeared, which gradually formed together, forming a connection to Meng Hao. This was a special type of Karma, and once formed, if Meng Hao wasn't repaid sufficiently, it could turn into an inner Devil.

"You damned bastard!! How could you have a magical technique like this!? You Immortals are all completely shameless!!" The face roared, and everything collapsed. Wild colors flashed about as the special Karma Thread Meng Hao had tied was forcibly severed. Of course, that severing caused a huge backlash which also affected Meng Hao.

Meng Hao appeared on the second level, coughing up a mouthful of blood. Before the first mouthful finished spurting out, he coughed up a second and then a third mouthful of pitch-black blood!

After that, he swayed dizzily, and instantly knew that someone had broken A Writ of Karma. He had predicted that such a thing might happen, and was also aware that a backlash would occur. However, that didn't cause him to even pause to think about whether or not to use the technique. That was Meng Hao. If he was willing to treat himself viciously, then how much more so could he treat others viciously!?

He was willing to suffer a backlash, as long as it meant that the monkey did too!

That was his way of telling people: Don't provoke me!!

The ancient beast on the second level looked at Meng Hao with a strange expression. It saw the entrance to the third level collapse, and apparently wanted to ask about what had happened. However, it hesitated. Based on everything, it could guess that some monumental event had occurred. However, sometimes, not knowing what had happened was far safer than knowing.

Therefore, it maintained its silence and chose not to ask any questions.

Meng Hao looked at the beast and nodded. Then he shot out from the second level's exit, and left the underground world entirely.

Although this adventure had ended with Meng Hao being injured, he had also acquired much. His only regret was that of the six flame sparks, he had only acquired one.

"Well, there's no hurry," he thought. "One of these days, I'll come back. And then... I'll make sure that A Writ of Karma gets fully formed!" Meng Hao had already come to the rough conclusion that the monkey face was likely... Dao Fang!

Huoyan Zi had mentioned Dao Fang, who was also the same person standing guard outside of the 33 Heavens!

"If I can fully solidify A Writ of Karma, then I'll hardly be able to wait until I leave the Mountain and Sea Realm and charge through all the 33 Heavens. When I see Dao Fang's true self, I wonder if he'll pay the money back first, or just attack me?" Meng Hao chuckled coldly as his body flickered, then reappeared in the plains that surrounded the Ancient Dao Lakes of the Southern Domain.

As soon as he materialized, Meng Hao took a deep breath, causing the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth to roil toward him. He absorbed the spiritual energy and then breathed out again, completing a full cycle. His Eternal stratum was hard at work, and he also produced medicinal pills, which he immediately consumed.

As his wounds rapidly healed, he sat down cross-legged and began to meditate. The area he was in was wild and rugged, filled with wild vegetation and lacking the slightest sign of human habitation.

After sitting there for about two hours, his wounds were healed by about ninety percent. The worst injuries had been sustained, not during his battle with the giant, but in those final moments, by the roar of the monkey face.

That roar had injured his soul, and had even affected the flame spark. Thankfully, Meng Hao had been able to escape almost immediately, ensuring that the injuries weren't permanent. Otherwise, there would have been serious and troubling repercussions.

He was about to continue the healing process when he realized that the final ten percent would require several hours. At that point, he suddenly opened his eyes and slapped his bag of holding. A jade slip flew out, and when he pressed down onto it, Fang Shoudao's voice filled his mind.

"It's time for you to return and help the two of us stand as Dharma Protectors for your father to step into the Dao!"

Meng Hao's face lit up. His injuries weren't that important. What was truly important was helping his father step into the Dao. Both to him and to the clan, that was a matter of utmost importance!

That was especially so after witnessing Guru Heavencloud's failure in attempting to step into the Dao. Meng Hao was worried for his father, but he also knew that Fang Shoudao and Fang Yanxu were offering an incredible gift. Plus, his father was already in the great circle of the Ancient Realm. This step... was a step that had to be taken!

Meng Hao rose to his feet and transformed into a beam of light that shot toward the Eastern Lands. He was almost done with the things he needed to take care of on Planet South Heaven. Once his father's ceremony was complete, it would be time to leave!

"Dao Realm cultivators aren't allowed to enter Planet South Heaven.... Well then, what will Patriarch Shoudao do to allow father to step into the Dao here?" Feeling very curious about the matter, Meng Hao shot out of the Southern Domain at top speed, all the way to the Eastern Lands. It only took him the time it takes half an incense stick to burn before he was back in the Fang Clan citadel.

As soon as he got close, Fang Shoudao's voice boomed out from inside. "Hao'er, we've been waiting for you! Let's go!" Even as he spoke, he flew out of the ancestral mansion along with Fang Yanxu. Last to come out was Meng Hao's father, Fang Xiufeng.

Fang Xiufeng looked over benevolently at Meng Hao, unable to conceal his excitement at attempting to transcend the tribulation of stepping into the Dao. Although he brimmed with anticipation, he was also very nervous.